People have been seen peering over the edge of the Birling Gap near the iconic Seven Sisters today just 24 hours after a second cliff collapsed at Seaford Head in East Sussex.

Shocking images show sightseers fearlessly sitting on top of the cliff face, which is roughly six miles from where 50,000 tonnes of chalk gave way and collapsed into the sea, claiming the life of a woman in her 20s.

The cliffs at Seaford Head in East Sussex have been hit by three unexpected collapses in just two days.

The first happened on Wednesday afternoon, taking a huge section of the coastline with it. Yesterday afternoon there was another collapse, before a giant crack tore into an 80ft chalk-face leading to the third cliff fall last night.

Rescuers yesterday found the body of a woman in her 20s who is believed to have fallen from a clifftop around the time of the dramatic rockfall.

And as the Coastguard has issued a warning urging people to avoid the area, photographs have come to light which show a person teetering near the edge despite the imminent danger.

Sightseers were seen looking over the edge and sitting on top of Birling Gap, roughly six miles from Seaford Head

Dozens of people were seen happily having picnics and exploring the cliff's edge while two other explorers were seen walking on the beach underneath

A sightseer was just feet away from death as 50,000 tons of chalk gave way and a cliff collapsed into the sea in East Sussex

The cliffs at Seaford Head in East Sussex have now been hit by three unexpected collapses in just two days

The identity of the woman found just before 5pm at Cuckmere Haven in the Seven Sisters park is still unknown.

Seaford Town Councillor Phil Boorman said there was a real danger of further collapses and those people close to the edge were risking their lives.

He said: 'Having visited the site with the coastguard emergency team it is clear there could be further cliff falls.

'As a safety precaution the emergency services have cordoned off a large section of Seaford Head.

'But all we can do is appeal to people to not put themselves in danger or be tempted to risk their personal safety for the sake of a simple photograph. Regrettably a lot of people still ignore anything even the coastguard say.'

He said described the people seen enjoying picnics on the cliff edge and visitors walking in the beach beneath the crumbling cliff face as 'complete idiots'.

'They do it all year round and that is bad enough with the erosion of these cliffs but to do it now is just madness.'

The scene of the cliff collapses has created a mini tourist boom in the East Sussex town with some sightseers admitting they had travelled long distances to view the spectacle.

THREE CLIFF FALLS IN JUST TWO DAYS

Coastguards are warning the public to keep away from the unstable cliffs at Seaford following three separate cliff falls over the last 48 hours.

James Longford and his wife Mary, both 35, watched the drama on the news and decided to drive 60 miles from South London to see for themselves.

'The force of nature of quite awesome at times. It is a stunning bit of the coastline but we won't be going onto the cliffs.

'The winds are very strong today and it looks far too risky to be up there.'

Seaford resident Sarnia Pooley watched the figures at the top of the cliff through binoculars with disbelief.

She said: 'Living here we know the dangers. They emergency services have roped off a large area but people still ignore all the warnings.'

Barry Miles, 67, an amateur photographer from Beckenham, London, was taking pictures when the cliff collapsed.

He said: 'Someone said 'look, look what's happening' so I just kept taking photographs.

'It wasn't until someone said later that it was a cliff collapsed, that I fully realised what had happened.

'When I took the photos I thought it was a large wave and spray. There was no noise that I could hear of the cliff collapsing.'

Cliff falls, but nothing on this scale, are known to happen along the stretch of coastline with warning signs and taped-off areas in place to prevent tourists from getting too close to the edge and taking selfies.

Coastguards are now warning the public to keep away from the unstable cliffs at Seaford.

However last night people were witnessed getting close to the edge despite a number of warnings issued by HM Coastguard that the area is 'extremely unstable'.

Authorities have now urged bathers and ramblers to steer clear of the cliffs for fear more sections may continue to collapse.

Coastguards are warning the public to keep away from the unstable cliffs at Seaford following three separate cliff falls over the last 48 hours, all within a close proximity of one another at Seaford Head

A second cliff collapsed in East Sussex - just 24 hours after 50,000 tonnes of chalk and earth crashed on to the shore

A third cliff (pictured) then came crashing into the sea, leading to the Coastguard issuing a warning

Warning signs (right) are in place near the cliffs as they pose a huge risk to beach-goers and people walking underneath the third cliff which has a huge crack in it (left)

A rescue team were searching for the girl who was seen walking with another person by an eyewitness before the collapse - and she has been found safe

The coastguard warned there is no safe place to be and taking selfies on the cliffs endangered life

Authorities have now urged bathers and ramblers to steer clear of the cliffs for fear more sections may continue to collapse

Why do cliffs collapse?

Cliffs collapse for a range of reasons.

While the most common reason is weathering, there are other factors to consider, such as water crashing against the cliff face, what the cliff is made of, and the climate of the area.

For example, softer materials, such as clay are more likely to collapse than harder materials like granite.

Bad weather naturally erodes the foundations of a cliff, and can cause it to collapse.

One of the most common examples of weathering is when rain fall affects the composition of the cliff.

As rain falls, it seeps into the permeable gravel and soil at the top of the cliff, adding weight to it.

At the same time, colder winter temperatures can cause the face of this cliff to freeze, as frozen areas weaken as they thaw.

If a cliff is against a body of water, such as a sea or ocean, waves crashing on the cliff can also weaken it over time.

Cliffs can also collapse as the result of rock slides, when whole slabs of rock detach from an inclined face and collapse, or as a result of mud slides, when wet soil and weak rocks fall.

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue said they were called at 2.22pm on Thursday to reports a person had fallen from a cliff in the Seven Sisters Country Park. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

He said: 'Two fire engines from Newhaven and Eastbourne were sent to the scene along with officers and the Bexhill and Battle rope rescue units. Coastguard and Sussex Police were also in attendance.'

'Birling Gap and Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Teams and the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Lydd were sent to the scene, alongside the South East Ambulance Service and the Sussex Fire Service.'

It comes as a girl in a pink top seen moments before the Seaford Head cliff collapse on Thursday afternoon was found safe and well.

In a tweet the Maritime and Coastguard said: '#SEAFORD UPDATE - Report received on scene that the female in pink top was seen walking away from the cliff fall safe and well.'

Mark Rodway OBE, Maritime Commander, said: 'We are warning beach goers to keep away from the Seaford cliffs area so the emergency services can carry out their work.

'The cliffs along the UK coastline are continually eroding and we've seen a number of cliff collapses in recent months - last night's fall was several thousand tonnes and we are unsure at the current time of the exact scale of the one today.

'It's impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be.

'It's very clear that cliffs are unstable in places and we really can't stress enough how important it is to keep back from the edge.'

The coastguard warned there is no safe place to be and taking selfies on the cliffs endangered life.

Commander Rodway added: 'Don't be tempted to go and investigate recent falls and don't risk going to the edge to get a dramatic photo.

On Wednesday a dramatic cliff fall also took place at the shore, near Eastbourne, East Sussex

Beach-goers filmed the rocks crashing into the waters from a height of around 80 metres, throwing up a huge wave

'One of our biggest problems is the 'selfie-culture' where people take risks to get a dramatic photograph of themselves on a dangerous cliff edge - no selfie is worth risking your life for.'

Seaford Town Council clerk, James Corrigan, said: 'It was inevitable there would be further falls over the course of the next couple of weeks.

'We could see from examining the cracks last night there were going to be further falls.

Rescue workers from the Fire Service and Coastguard had to search the area to make sure nobody was trapped under the cliff fall.

The beach front along the esplanade was packed with tourists and holidaymakers when the white cliffs collapsed.

Mr Easton said: 'Keep well away from the cliff edges and likewise keep clear of the areas below the cliffs as well as there is the potential for more cliff falls, especially at Seaford.

'The photos of the cliff falls and the cracks in the cliff are certainly dramatic but don't risk your life for a good picture, there are plenty of images you can view safely on news and social media channels and we urge you to keep yourself and those with you a safe distance from danger while visiting the coast.

'Not only are people risking their own lives by going close to the edge, they are also risking the lives of Coastguards and other emergency services who would go in and rescue them if they got into difficulty. This is an extremely unstable area and without doubt, lives are being put at risk.'

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that there were no reports of any missing people in the area after yesterday's fall

However, a search was undertaken nonetheless because of the 'sheer scale' of the cliff fall